Bavaria Cruiser 45 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Charter four-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The standard arrangement uses a single-level living area merging galley, saloon, and nav area, with a narrow, steep companionway leading down to cabins where headroom would satisfy a pro basketball player in any of them. Aft cabins are not cramped, with 6ft 10in headroom and an en-suite each where a 6ft 3in person can stand upright under the shower, while forward can be a grand master or optional twin doubles separated by a hallway with seated shower to port and heads to starboard. The saloon has a nav area but no dedicated nav seat, and the large cockpit table is superb for bracing against with impressive stowage in three lockers.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market these boats commonly carry a bimini, chartplotter, autopilot, furling main, cockpit shower, bow thruster, swim platform, teak decks, heating, and often a solar panel, inverter, hot water, and life raft. A freezer, radar, or AIS are seen less often and usually reflect an owner upgrade rather than standard fit. The original specification included a useful aluminium toerail, large cleats, double bow roller, proper sail locker with steps, and a helmsman's seat that lifts to expose engine controls; the test boat carried an in-mast vertical-battened main with Elvström Epex membrane and optional Gori prop overdrive, but such sail plans vary by previous owner.

What to Inspect

A relative lack of stowage in all cabins is a blemish on this design, and the absence of a navigator's seat on a 45-footer is something that would alarm many, so check whether previous owners added seating or stowage workarounds. The split backstay set-up restricts seated comfort in the after quarters of the cockpit, and the galley has only a two-burner stove with limited room to gimbal plus small pan stowage, so inspect for modifications or fatigue at the mounting points. The narrow, steep companionway and low cockpit coamings are design features rather than faults, but verify the electronically lowering transom operates smoothly and that the machinery space between aft cabins still gives good engine access without water ingress.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

Typical markets for the Bavaria Cruiser 45 are Croatia, Greece, Türkiye, Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. For a buyer, the takeaway is straightforward: confirm the transom mechanism and twin-rudder tracking, assess en-suite and cabin locker condition given the known stowage shortfall, verify the galley gimbal and companionway wear from charter use, and prefer examples with the commonly fitted heating, bow thruster, and autopilot already in place.